Can you pass the MadLab Fitness IQ and Etiquette Test?

Before we put you through our MadLab Fitness IQ test, a little background about why:

If you have ever been on a team, you probably learned along the way that for the team to function at its best, a valued personality characteristic is to be a low-maintenance teammate. Nobody appreciates the guy who has to pee every time it’s time for the team to leave, or the girl with all the food aversions that makes it impossible to find a restaurant for a team dinner.

The same is true of being part of our group classes.

This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to act like a student. You are a student, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert. After all, you pay good money to receive coaching, and it’s our responsibility to provide you with excellent coaching every day. That being said, the more you understand the concepts of what we’re trying to do, and the more prepared you come to class, the higher level of coaching the coach will be able to deliver, which benefits everyone.

An extreme example of being “high maintenance:” Buddy shows up and forgets how to squat, forcing the coach to spend an inordinate amount of time helping this individual learn basic squat mechanics, to the detriment of the rest of the class.

In light of this, I decided to create a little test—a theory test, so to speak. The answers are at the bottom of the page, but don’t cheat. Take the test. See how you do. If you’re not scoring 80 percent or more (24/30 or higher), then you might just be that high-maintenance person on the team…(said with love).

MadLab IQ and Etiquette Test

Part 1: TRUE OR FALSE

1. The traditional “women’s” barbell weighs 25 lb.

2. The Clean and Jerk and the Snatch make up the sport of Olympic weightlifting, while the deadlift, back squat and bench press make up the sport of powerlifting.

3. @2131 tempo on a back squat means you take 2 seconds to pause at the bottom, 1 second to pause at the top, 3 seconds to lower back into the squat, and 1 second to stand back up.

4. It’s OK to leave my foam roller out for the coaches to clean up after I leave.

5. @2121 on a pull-up means you take two seconds to pull your chin over the bar, 1 second to pause at the top, 2 seconds to lower back down, and 1 second at the bottom in the deadhang position.

6. You must sign in to our system every time you come to the gym.

7. 5 x 3 means 3 sets of 5 reps

8. Holding an average of a 1:58/500m speed on the rowing machine for 2 km means your 2 km row time will be 7:52

10. When it comes to loading a 35-lb. barbell to 115 lb., it’s better to put one set of 25 lb. plates along with 1 set of 10 lb. plates on the barbell than it is to load the bar with 4 sets of 10 lb. plates

Part 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. When is it appropriate to get sloppy with my technique:

a). When Sarah is lifting more than me and I have to get grunty to match her

b). When I’m doing more than 10 reps in a row

c). When the coach is on the other side of the room

d). When I don’t like the music that’s playing

e). None of the above

2. A hang power clean means:

a). The movement starts just below the knee

b). The movement starts on the ground

c). The movement starts above the knee

d). The movement starts with the barbell overhead

3. The first number of a tempo prescription always refers to the:

a). concentric portion of the movement

b). eccentric portion of the movement

c). top of the movement

d). bottom of the movement

4. A muscle clean means:

a). You land in a squat

b). You do not re-bend at the hips at the end of the movement

c). You don’t need to reach full hip extension as you clean

d). None of the above

5. How would you go about working through the following training session: